Hashem Abedi trial: Fragments of household items ‘used in Manchester Arena bomb’ shown in court

Tiny fragments of household items that were allegedly used to make the homemade bomb detonated in the Manchester Arena attack have been shown in court.

Salman Abedi left 22 people dead and injured dozens of others in the 2017 suicide bombing.

His brother Hashem Abedi is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of helping plot the attack.

Remnants of drinks cans, a paint tin and a novelty money box were all recovered from the scene of the blast as forensic officers scoured for clues in the aftermath of the disaster.

Tiny scraps of metal, some little more than 1mm in size, were found, along with nuts, screws and other items used to maximise the number of injuries and fatalities.

Lorna Philp, principal case officer with the Forensic Explosive Laboratory in Kent, told jurors the reason many of the items recovered by scientists were so small was because of their to their proximity to the bomb.

The device was hidden in Salman Abedi’s rucksack before the blast.

Ms Philp, giving evidence from the witness box, said: “The damage to these fragments, the extremely small size, indicates these fragments were in close contact with the explosive itself when the device functioned.”

She said shrapnel was also extensively damaged.

Ms Philp said her laboratory identified five different types of damaged and deformed nuts during the months-long forensic investigation into the bomb site.

The scientist also explained how components of homemade explosive TATP (also known as Tri-acetone Tri-peroxide) found at the scene could be made from readily available high street products.

Ms Philp described how analysis appeared to show the various components of the bomb, a replica of which was shown to the jury.

She said: “From the fragments covered, the device appeared to be constructed from a large money tin, a five-litre paint tin and an extremely large quantity of shrapnel, which consisted of nuts and screws.”

Ms Philp said a green piece of material found at the scene was likely to be that of a boiler suit, probably placed in Salman Abedi’s rucksack before he detonated the device.

She said: “It may have been in the rucksack either to disguise the shape of the tin, to hold the contents inside, or possibly cover the device if the bag was opened.”

Ms Philp added it was likely the explosion was triggered by a switch pressed by the perpetrator, “possibly (in) the jacket pocket”.

It comes after footage of Salman Abedi scoping out the venue during a Take That concert, days before his suicide attack, was shown to the jury.

The bomber could be seen looking at the crowds of people gathering before the event and the long queues at the box office, just metres from the spot where he would return to detonate his rucksack device four days later.

Hashem Abedi denies 22 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder encompassing the injured survivors, and conspiring with his brother to cause explosions.

The trial continues.

(c) Sky News 2020: Hashem Abedi trial: Fragments of household items ‘used in Manchester Arena bomb’ shown in court